It's possible the police were justified in shooting the man known to locals as "Africa." But considering how the Times equivocated about what's visible in the video, it seems Smith and Beck have so far doled out more propaganda than credible information.

In those moments when the guns come out, it is a difficult and dangerous job. But difficult and dangerous circumstances are when all that training is supposed to kick in, not be abandoned in a moment of "incredible tension."

For immigrants, both documented and undocumented, arrest even without imprisonment can lead to being taken away from loved ones through deportation. We have to ask ourselves: what is being done to our communities?